Never Forgotten
by DanielNieves
Summary: X-Mas fluff. Naruto's depressed on Christmas thinking that everyone's forgotten about him and wishing he had a family to spend it with, can anyone bring him out of his depression?


Never Forgotten

Daniel Nieves

The sun kissed Jinchiruuki awoke alone in his bed and slid out, expecting to the sun beaming down on him and instead seeing a blur of snow outside his window. It was not uncommon for it to snow in Konohagakure no Sato, but it didn't come around a lot. Depressed by the sight of snow because it usually meant boring days in which nothing happened, he almost forgot it was Christmas today. Not that it really mattered, he never really celebrated it in his sixteen years of life, but the holiday did have its appeal.

On days such as this, he'd pretend he had a family, a loving father and mother who would give him gifts and make him ramen for breakfast and all the things other families took for granted.

It was easy for him to believe his parents had forgotten him, most of his friends did on this day. Sasuke had left Konohagakure for Orochimaru and hadn't been seen since the time they actually had located him a few months ago in Orochimaru's base. Sakura was always with his parents as well as the other friends he'd grown up with. Kakashi-sensei was probably reading his smut, giggling like a girl wherever he lived, and Ero-sennin was probably 'researching' to produce the smut itself.

Groaning in disappointment, he tried to think of what he'd actually do today. Shuffling to his kitchen in his pajamas, he reached up into the cupboards and pulled out an instant pork ramen, and three minutes later sat down in his makeshift living room to eat. Shoveling the noodles as fast as he could in his mouth, he slurped the god-sent broth down his throat and nearly spat it out as a knock on his door shook him out of his ritualistic breakfast habits.

Who the hell would be knocking at his door?

No one ever really visited him at his house. Standing up from his couch, he walked up towards the door and opened it and saw Jiraiya and Tsunade at the door. A smile lit up his face as he pulled back the door to give them access. "Baa-chan, Ero-sennin, what are you doing here? I figured you'd be celebrating Christmas out drinking and gambling, or researching." Naruto pointed out foxily, an accusatory smile on his face.

"Gaki!" Tsunade growled, before rapping her knuckles on his skull and sending him stumbling down.

Jiraiya laughed and helped the poor teen up on his feet. "Baa-chan, stop hitting me. You're a fossil, but you have the strength of a young woman you lush." Naruto accused, pointing at her.

"Don't antagonize her Naruto." Jiraiya chastised him, clasping his shoulder as a vein throbbed on Tsunade's forehead.

"It's not my fault she's old. She shouldn't even be Hokage, just give me the hat already baa-chan." Naruto said laughing, before hiding behind Jiraiya as Tsunade cracked her knuckles threateningly.

"Naruto…"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Just playing, geez. Why are you here anyway?" Naruto asked bluntly.

"Well, seeing as it's Christmas, we decided to stop in and bring you something." Tsunade said, pulling out a scroll and tossing it to the shinobi. Naruto caught it deftly, and raised his eyes quizzically at her.

"What's in it?" Naruto asked, puzzled by it.

"Well, open it baka." Jiraiya said impatiently.

Naruto shrugged and bit his thumb, and swiped it across the scroll. There was a cloud of smoke as it burst open and it revealed a set of black cargo pants, and a black long sleeved shirt. Underneath that was a green chuunin vest with a orange swirl on the back. "Huh? Why are you giving me a chuunin vest?" Naruto asked.

"Because we're officially promoting you to chuunin gaki. Since we are in a time of war, and received good marks from your jounin sensei, we decided to do a field promotion, seeing as how we can't keep sending a genin to do A and S-ranked missions. You can't becoming a Hokage as a genin, so here's your first step, Naruto."

Naruto's eyes lit up as he smiled. "Seriously, but why the black outfit?" Naruto demanding at it, pointing. "There's no orange in it besides the little swirl on the vest."

Tsunade's vein throbbed again. "You're now a superior shinobi of Konoha, dress like one. You can't go out there in that orange jumpsuit as a chuunin." She replied waspishly.

Naruto hung his head in defeat. "There's nothing wrong with orange."

"Gaki, check again, you missed something." Jiraiya pointed out. Naruto checked the scroll again and there was a picture there of a red-headed woman with blue eyes.

"Who is she?" Naruto demanded, looking at it.

"She's your mother Naruto. Her name is Uzumaki Kushina, and we figured it was time to let you know your parentage." Tsunade explained. "When you become jounin and can defend yourself better, we'll let you know who your father was."

"Kushina-kaachan." Naruto whispered, his eyes watering up. "My mother…" A small sob escaped his lips and suddenly Tsunade found herself with arms wrapped around her and tears spilling down her chest.

"Thank you baa-chan, this is the best present I've ever got." He said, his body shaking with sobs.

Tsunade ruffled his spiky blonde locks, before releasing him. "Don't worry about it gaki. Whenever you get a chance, I can show you her profile in our old ninja books. There should be some information on her." Tsunade said smiling.

Naruto nodded and wiped his eyes. "What did you get me you old goat?" Naruto asked Jiraiya.

"OLD GOAT!" Jiraiya roared, wrapping his hands around the younger shinobi's throat.

After calming himself down, Jiraiya pulled out another scroll. "This is for you, ungrateful little brat."

Naruto swiped his thumb across it and there were some technique scrolls and a few books. "What are these?" Naruto asked.

"The scroll contains instructions on some fuuton jutsus, as well as a few katon and basic ones that Konoha ninja know. The other three books are on the studying and development of seals, the second is on theories behind time/space ninjutsu and the last one is my first book called 'The Gutsy Ninja'. Don't worry it's not like the Icha Icha series, though you should check them out, lot of useful information in them." Jiraiya explained, before giving the blond ninja a hug.

"Thanks, but what's that Space/Time stuff you're talking about?" Naruto asked.

Tsunade and Jiraiya fell on their faces. "Another reason for you to read the book, dunce!" Jiraiya snapped.

"Maa, Maa, calm down Jiraiya-sama." A new voice cut in.

The three shinobi turned around and saw Kakashi strolling in, Icha Icha book in hand giving the group his creepy eye-smile. "Merry Christmas, Naruto." Kakashi greeted, ruffling his student's hair.

"Don't do that, I'm not a little kid." Naruto snapped playfully, pushing the jounin's hand off.

"Congratulations on making chuunin by the way, I just wanted to stop by and congratulate you, and give you a little present. " Kakashi stated.

"Cool, so what did you get me?" Naruto said, squinting his eyes and looking very fox like as he rubbed his palms together.

"Well as you know, Sasuke uses the Kusanagi, so I think it's only fair you get your own katana, you might need it later on. I had it custom built by Tenten's father." Kakashi said, pulling out a long katana out of an orange sheath. The katana was long, and sleek, around fifty inches long with an orange scabbard.

"This is awesome Kaka-sensei, I don't know how to thank you for this." Naruto said sadly.

"I owe you this and more Naruto." Kakashi said, placing his hand on Naruto's head placatingly. "I know I haven't been the greatest sensei in the past." He added regretfully.

Naruto didn't complain when Kakashi ruffled his hair again. "Thank you sensei."

After that they all departed leaving Naruto alone again. Throughout the rest of the day, his friends had stopped by and given him presents and Naruto had felt guilty because he hadn't gotten them anything. But he hadn't seen _her_ all day. She was the pink haired girl of his dreams.

Evening came and the snow hadn't let up.

As he sat on his couch watching some random shounen anime, eating some miso ramen he picked up at Ichiraku's, there was a soft knock on his door. Grumbling around his noodles, he sat up from the couch, and walked towards the door irritated. As the door swung open, all he saw was emerald.

A shade of emerald so beautiful only God himself could of designed it.

Soft pink hair and a gorgeous pale face

Why use the Akatsuki when he could only be defeated by her? Only Sakura held the key in defeating Naruto.

Naruto froze, and let out a frantic laugh as he saw the girl that he loved, even if she didn't love him. "Sakura-chan, what are you doing here?" he said nervously. He had honestly thought she'd forgotten about him, and here she stood in his doorway, shivering as she stood there, a small rosy blush on her cheeks.

"I was thinking about you." She admitted softly. "Can I come in?" she asked.

"Yeah, no problem." He said, moving to the side to give her passage.

After she was inside his apartment, he closed the door and they stood there looking at each other. "Merry Christmas Naruto." She greeted.

"You surprised me Sakura-chan." Naruto admitted, blushing nervously.

"I just remembered you had no one to spend Christmas with so I came to see you. " she confessed, then added. "Naruto I need you to do me a favor, as a present for me." Sakura requested.

"What is it, anything for you Sakura-chan." Naruto said seriously, straightening up.

"I want you to stop chasing Sasuke for me." Sakura whispered, her eyes watering up as she said this.

"What? Why do you say that Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked.

"I don't love Sasuke anymore, and I haven't in a long time. I still consider him a friend and a teammate, and if you want, we'll still bring him back to the village. But I don't want you to keep hurting yourself trying to bring him back for me, especially now that I don't feel the same way that I used to." She stated.

"But why, what changed?" Naruto asked, stupefied.

"Yamato-sensei made me realize something when you went berserk against Orochimaru. Before you woke up again, he was about to tell me that I felt something for you, and I realized it's true. " She looked down for a second, before wrapping her arms around Naruto. "I love you, Naruto. When we were saving Gaara I had been so scared, and then when you went berserk, I wanted to save you at all costs, even my own life. That's why when Sasuke attacked us, I was trying to defend you, because I love you."

"You can't Sakura, what about Sasuke?" Naruto asked, his breath caught in his throat.

"Sasuke was what I thought was the best, I liked him for his status, his mysteriousness, a stupid girly crush. But I'm not twelve Naruto, I'm almost a grown woman now, and I realized that a long time ago, I just didn't understand it."

Naruto pushed her away softly. "Don't lie to me Sakura-chan, you know how I feel about you." Naruto pleaded.

"I know, that's why I'm here today. Because when I woke up, there was only one person in my mind, one person I wanted to spend Christmas with…" she trailed off.

"I don't understand…" Naruto admitted.

"You, just you Naruto. Please, spend Christmas with me." Sakura begged, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and pulling him towards her, and pressing her lips against his in a chaste kiss.

"Okay, I love you too, Sakura-chan." Naruto whispered after letting her go.

They held each other, looking into each other's eyes. Emerald burning into sapphire.

"You know you still have freaky strength, when you pulled me I almost fell." Naruto said, laughing.

"Shut up jerk and kiss me."

Fin

A/N: Just a little Xmas fluff. Completely un-edited so I could ship it out on Xmas so any mistakes are mine and I apologize in advance.


End file.
